What should I do?


Recently, at a brick and mortar audio dealer, I listened to a high-end moving coil cartridge.  It sounded really good, and I was impressed.  The retail for this cartridge was more then I wanted to spend ($4500), but to make a long story short, the dealer offered me a rare deal, ($2500+tax) brand new, so I bought it.  Got it home, and carefully installed it last night.  I listened to it for about 2.5 hours.  It is really good, but I don't think (at this point), that it's that much better then my old cartridge (at least, not yet).
Ok, so this morning I played around with the loading.  Better, but still I'm not happy.  Now, with only about 5 hours on this new Cartridge, I realize that it's not broken in yet.  I'm looking for input as to your thoughts on how I should proceed.
1.  Are cartridges purchased from high-end dealers returnable (I don't want to create any bad feelings with this dealer, since he gave me such a good price)?
2.  I was told 50 hours of break-in time for this Cartridge.  Should I wait the break-in period to make any decisions?
Any thoughts on how you think I should proceed are appreciated! 


louisl
Dear @louisl : All LOMC cartridges when we buy it in new condition always needs that the cartridge suspension settle down before we can " play " with loading and other cartridge/tonearm set up parameters.


You need to start with the cartridge manufacturer recomendations/specs and after the set up been that way just let play the cartridge for at least 50 hours with out putting to much attention to its quality level performance, you can't have under scrutiny or make any changes in its set up.

Then after those 50+ hours you will re-check the overall cartridge/tonearm set up: overhang/overall geometry alignment, VTF, VTA/SRA, azymuth, antiskate, changes on loading and the like.

That means that now you will start the cartridge fine tunning till you find out that the qualioty performance of that cartridge is " there " where you really like it.

I know you own/owned SS cartridge, Lyra Kleos and an old very good 0.2mv LOMC cartridge ( that I owned but I can't remember the manufactuerr. ) and that use/used VPI tonearm that I don't like it not only with LOMC cartridges that are more demanding than MM/MI ones about tonearms especially with unipivots like your VPI.

In the other side iof your new cartridge is really a top tier and you are using tubes then there is an additional problem.

Do what you want it because you never give answers to what other gentlemans ask for when you are the OP   ! ! ? ? ? whom ask for advices. LOL.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
That could certainly be the problem. If you have A VPI unipivot or any unipivot tonearm including the Graham get rid of it. I know of no LOMC cartridge that would be happy in a unipivot arm, way to floppy. The Graham is the best of them being stabilized with magnets but there is no reason to resort to that type of maneuver when for that kind of money you can buy the best bearings made. A tonearm can move in only 4 directions, up + down, side to side. In every other direction it has to be rock solid. This is particularly true with today's low compliance cartridges.
This is way more important than any reduction in friction, if any a unipivot might have. The forces involved playing a record are more than enough to overcome the friction of even the cheapest tonearm bearings out there. If you don't believe me defeat your antiskating and put your arm down on a blank disc and see what happens. Better have your catchers mitt on. It is actually more important that a bearing be smooth rather than the lowest friction. A tonearm can not make a cartridge sound better, but it can sure as h-ll make them sound worse, a lot worse. Way back I know a guy who mounted a Koetsu in a Transcriptor's Vestigial arm. The poor Koetsu would jump out of the groove. Forget about sounding bad. It was totally unplayable. Anyway when you put a LOMC cartridge in a unipivot arm what you usually get is muddy bass and dull transients even if the effective mass and compliance match up. If you really have to use a unipivot arm go find yourself an old Shure V15. If the arm is too massive just drill a bunch of holes in the arm tube.

Sorry guys that I haven't responded, but I am trying to put some more hours on the cartridge for break-in.  
To answer everyone's question about this "mystery" Cartridge, it is a Mytech Hyabusa mounted on a VPI Classic 3 (JMW Memorial 10.5 unipivot tone arm) feeding a PASS XP-17 phono preamp, High Fidelity cabling.
I now have a little over 8 hours of play time on the cartridge, and it is really starting to sound very good.
First, I appreciate everyone's input, but I find one comment that is if don't respond, then "he knows where he could put it" a bit condescending, unnecessary, and not helpful.   
Cartridge break-in is a slow process, that takes time, so please understand that is what I am doing.
I will respond again, after I our another 10 hours on the cartridge, to keep everyone updated.  Again, thanks to everyone for your thoughts, and suggestions.  I appreciate it!
Nice, don't forget to put your old cartridge back for final comparison to that new one after break-in.

We're always biased by new toys, the trick is to make a fair comparison after all, would be interesting to read. 


I think this happens to a lot of us: we make a big outlay and there aren't immediate results and then the remorse/concern comes. Two things happen (to me, at least): First, things take time to break in when you are at the level of your equipment. Definitely. But also, when you get something new, often it has a different presentation than you are used to and it takes time to adjust to that. Unless it's truly horrible sounding, I try to give everything a couple weeks of regular listening before making a decision.